Chapter 343: Targeted by a Snake and a Shark at the Same Time.

Yu Zhizhi had originally planned to change back from her Beast Form after eating, but when she heard Lord Shen He of the Deep Sea Empire had arrived, she decided to stay in her rabbit form to try and avoid him.

Noel had already gone ahead to the conference room.

The scent of medicinal herbs filled the air the moment he stepped inside.

A long, ancient wooden table, its surface still showing the tree’s growth rings, dominated the room.

After Noel sat down, Yu Zhizhi quickly hopped over to his side, carefully hiding by the leg of the table.

The young man of the Rabbit Clan glanced down at her.

Though he didn’t know why the little rabbit hadn’t returned to her human form, he reached down, picked her up, and placed her on his lap.

The tablecloth draped down slightly, concealing her fluffy rabbit body.

Yu Zhizhi had used a Scent Concealing Potion beforehand; the system rewarded her with many vials of it every time she completed a mission.

’This way, neither the Duke nor the Big Shark will notice me, right?’

Yu Zhizhi sat obediently on Noel’s lap, her rabbit paws tucked together and her ears carefully flattened back.

’No matter what, I have to hear this meeting for myself.’

After all, it was about Tang Luo Ke’s disappearance.

About twenty minutes later, the conference room door opened.

A servant from the Snake Clan entered carrying a Crystal Ball and bowed in Noel’s direction. "Lord City Lord."

"Please, have a seat."

Noel lifted his chin slightly.

After the Snake Clan servant sat down, another set of footsteps approached.

Peeking through the tablecloth, Yu Zhizhi saw a pair of black military boots bearing the Deep Sea insignia on the side. Her little heart began to pound. She watched as the boots moved to the other side of the table, and their owner sat down.

A soldier followed behind him.

"City Lord Nuo’er, may we begin the meeting?" the soldier asked.

Yu Zhizhi’s rabbit ears twitched slightly—

’I remember that voice. It’s the young Tiger Whale!’

’Lord Shen He’s confidant, Buli, isn’t here?’

The Snake Clan servant seated across from them placed the purple Crystal Ball on the wooden table.

White mist instantly enveloped the entire length of the table. As it slowly thinned, a figure materialized in one of the chairs.

It was the Tiger Whale Soldier’s first time seeing the First Duke of Varolan, and he couldn’t help but hold his breath.

Even though...

...it was only a Clone.

The Clone was created by the Duke’s Talent Ability, Cloud Mist.

The man sitting opposite them now was so lifelike he could even pick up the teacup in front of him.

The Clone was, for all intents and purposes, another version of him.

From under the table, Yu Zhizhi’s gaze fell upon the Duke’s deep purple robes. Mist swirled around him, and within that sea of clouds, she could see a black-scaled tail swaying gently.

’Hmm—’

’Even though it’s a Clone, it’s barely different from the real thing.’

Everyone had arrived.

Noel announced the start of the meeting.

Shen He leaned back in his chair and cut straight to the chase. "Half a month ago, four soldiers from the Hanhai Army went missing. Just like your War Weapon, they vanished into thin air in front of everyone."

The Tiger Whale Soldier added, "I was on the scene. No runes from a teleportation Array ever appeared."

He distributed the files he was holding. "These are our findings. We ask that the Duke and the Lord City Lord review them."

Noel accepted the file.

He began to read through it carefully.

Yu Zhizhi couldn’t resist poking her head out a little. As if sensing her curiosity, Noel propped the file up vertically.

This way, the little rabbit could read along in secret.

It contained information on the smugglers in the Chelsea Territory.

During that battle, the Hanhai Army had captured numerous Prisoners of War.

A great deal of information about the enemy had been obtained through harsh interrogation.

’So they really are from other planets...’

The file noted that due to shifts in a magnetic field, the number of arrivals varied each time. They possessed a special spatial transfer ability, and it was highly probable the missing soldiers had been "taken" when the enemy fled.

In other words, they could now be in another realm entirely.

From within the mist, the Duke finished reading the report. "I require several Prisoners of War from the Chelsea Territory for my own interrogation."

The Tiger Whale Soldier replied, "Of course. We’ve already brought some."

Since they had decided to cooperate, they came bearing proof of their sincerity.

Greenfield City had also captured a few alive this time. They were likely from the same group as the smugglers in the Chelsea Territory.

To be safe, they would be interrogated separately, and the information would be pooled together.

Yu Zhizhi more or less understood the situation.

Everything was connected to that group of newcomers in the Chelsea Territory.

If the intelligence was verified, the Valoran Empire and the Deep Sea Empire would likely cooperate closely to find the missing individuals as soon as possible.

"I hear," the Duke said slowly, "that the Marshal’s personal sea lion is also on the list of the missing."

That was no ordinary sea lion.

He was the confidant of the Hai Giant Shark.

His right-hand man.

Yu Zhizhi looked up, stunned—

’Buli?!’

THUD! Her little rabbit head hit the wooden table, the sound echoing clearly in the quiet conference room.

The hand Noel was using to hold his pen paused. He glanced down at the little rabbit on his lap, who was now holding her head with her little paws in pain.

The distinct noise made both the Duke and Shen He look over simultaneously.

Yu Zhizhi rubbed her head, her rabbit ears twitching.

Above the edge of the wooden table, half of a snow-white rabbit ear could be seen, trembling slightly.

A flicker of a smile passed through the Duke’s golden, slitted pupils.

’So she was hiding here to eavesdrop.’

He had long grown accustomed to being unable to sense the little rabbit’s presence.

Shen He’s gray eyes stared at the rabbit hiding so obviously beneath the tablecloth. The longer he looked, the more he felt that something was not right.

He had seen his fair share of rabbits.

But this one—

...was exceptionally different.

A woman from the Dolphin Clan entered the conference room with a tray of tea. Seeing the Rabbit Clan female on Lord Nuo’er’s lap, she asked softly, "Are you all right, Ms. Zhi Zhi?"

The Tiger Whale Soldier’s eyes immediately shot wide—

’Ms. Zhi Zhi?!’

’She’s here!’

Shen He stared intently at the snow-white rabbit ears. He leaned back in his chair, his voice low and resonant. "To come all this way and not even say hello... isn’t that a bit too formal, Miss Rabbit?"

’Oh no...’

Her identity had been exposed.

’Say hello?’

’As if I’d dare.’

Overcome with fear, Yu Zhizhi acted on instinct and burrowed toward Noel’s chest. She quickly squeezed past two buttons on his shirt and nimbly hid herself within his warm embrace.

Noel’s hand froze for a second. He looked down to see a bulge at his chest, her little rabbit tail still sticking out.

The hint of a smile in the Duke’s eyes slowly vanished.

He watched the fluffy little rabbit desperately burrow into the young Rabbit Clan man’s arms, as if, in her mind, Noel was the only one in the entire room she could trust and rely on.

—When did they become so close?

Shen He nonchalantly averted his gaze.

Noel supported her body with one hand. He looked at the woman from the Dolphin Clan. "Is there anything else?"

Having refilled the tea, shouldn’t she be leaving?

The woman from the Dolphin Clan bowed slightly. "Lord City Lord, the detection equipment has arrived. Most of the smugglers have been captured this time, but there may be others who have concealed their identities and are now living as residents of the Jade Forest."

"To be safe, everyone must be tested. All of the staff have already been screened with no abnormalities found. Lord Nuo’er, the only ones left are Ms. Zhi Zhi and the Little Octopus who is always with her."